Screed support



July 2, 1968 J. SCHUMAK 3,390,500

SCREED SUPPORT Filed June 13, 1966 INVENTOR.

KARL J .S'Cf/(JMAK EDWARD 0. Oak/Aw United States Patent 3,390,500 SCREED SUPPORT Karl J. Schumak, 1138 Jasmine St., Anaheim, Calif. 92301 Filed June 13, 1966, Ser. No. 557,064 3 Claims. (Cl. 52-365) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is directed to a screed support, and particularly to a support which is designed to securely mount a screed bar upon corrugated decking so that concrete or other materials may be poured thereon and screeded off. This screed support comprises a resilient lock clip which is adapted to lie between the corrugations in corrugated or cellular decking or the like. The lock clip has an opening therein for the reception of a threaded post. This post engages in the bottom of a corrugation and upon turning of the threaded post, the clip is locked into the side walls of the corrugations. The post carries, upon a suitable bracket, a screed bar. A plurality of such screed supports are applied, concrete is poured and screeded with a rod guided by two screed bars. After screeding is completed, the screed bars, brackets and posts are removed, while the clip may remain in the concrete structure.

Background Screeding is well known and necessary way of leveling poured materials. It is regularly used in the pouring of concrete so as to obtain a level top surface. Screeding comprises placement of longitudinal screed bars, several parallel to each other, with the subsequent placement of the plastic concrete. A rod is moved along the screed bars and concrete is moved so that the rod levels oif the top surface. Thus, proper alignment of the screed bars is necessary to produce a level concrete surface.

In modern building construction, corrugated decking is often used as a structural member and as a support for concrete which is to be later placed as a floor. Such decking provides no convenient way of supporting screed bars. Simple posts are not enough, for the corrugations provide no place for proper securement. Wedging screed bar support posts in place is time consuming, and the fastening of the screed bars thereto may easily pull them loose. Furthermore, this leaves a great deal of foreign material within the concrete, which is detrimental to its strength.

Description Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a screed support which is particularly useful in supporta screed bar upon corrugated decking. It is a further object of this invention to provide a retainer clip into which a post is secured, which in turn secures the retainer clip in corrugated decking so that a screed bar can be supported thereon. It is a further object of this invention to provide a screed support which provides rigid screed bar supports upon corrugated decking so that screeding can be sucessfully accomplished. Other and further objects of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following portion of this specification, as well as the claims and drawings.

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through corrugated decking showing the screed support of this invention in place therein.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the retainer clip used in the screed support.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the retainer clip.

Referring now to the drawings, the screed support of this invention is generally indicated at 10, While the clip which forms an integral part of this screed support is generally indicated at 12. As seen in FIG. 1, cellular decking is indicated at 14. The decking 14 is formed with corrugations, as is indicated and is supported on conventional supports within building construction so that a floor 16 may be poured thereon. The floor 16 is conventionally of concrete and is poured directly upon the cellular decking 14. The decking 14 is such that it defines ridges 18 and recesses 20 of such nature, that consistent with the material of decking 14 provides adequate strength to support the material which forms floor 16. The material is conventionally concrete and is of adequate thickness to provide fireproof quality as Well as soundproofing .between the floors and the necessary rigidity to prevent excessive springiness. Many forms of cellular decking 14 are currently used. Some of them contain integral wireways. In that form the decking 14 either has a flat bottom plate secured thereto or has an additional corrugated portion of opposite Wave form secured thereto. However, the screed support 10 is useful in any type of decking 14 which has appropriate. corrugations including recesses 20.

In the pouring of a floor 16 upon the decking 14, it is necessary to provide an appropriate level and smooth surface of the floor 16. This requirement calls for the use of screed bars. A plurality of screed bars are placed in the same plane, which is usually horizontal. Thereupon, concrete or other plastic floor material which will set up into monolithic structure is poured upon decking 14 and is leveled to the bottom of the screed bar by a rod which is drawn across the top of the bars. The rod is notched to the depth of the screed bars to determine the level of the top of the concrete at the bottom of the screed bars.

The screed support 10 includes retainer clip 12 which is particularly adapted to firmly engage in recess 20 in decking 14. As is seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, retainer clip 12 has a main body 22 which is formed from flat material. The material is necessarily quite strong and resilient. Thus, steel is a preferred material. Body 22 has a threaded center hole 24 and guide legs 26 and 28. As is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the guide legs are preferably bent out of the main portion of body 22. Body 22 terminates in locking ends 30 and 32, which are preferably finished 01f square so as to define a sharp edge at the juncture of the ends and the bottom of body 22. Furthermore, the guide legs 26 and 28 respectively terminate in leg ends 34 and 36, and the dimension across the leg ends is smaller than the dimension between the locking ends when the body 22 is formed in the unstressed curved shape illustrated in FIG. 3. Preferably, the relationship of the distance across the legs ends and across the locking ends is such that when the body 22 is unstressed, and the retainer clip 12 is placed in recess 20, all four contact the sides of the recess.

Post 38 has external threads 40 of appropriate size to engage in threaded center hole 24. On its bottom end, post 38 terminates in point 42 and its top end terminates in wrenching surfaces 44. The overall length of post 38 is such as to permit it to extend from the bottom of recess 20 to a point above the top of floor 16, as is illustrated in FiG. 1. Screed support bracket 46 has a threaded center hole engaging threads 40 therein so that it can be turned to the required height on threads 40 on post 38. Set screw 48 is provided to lock bracket 46 in place. Bracket 46 has a horizontal support member 50 and stop 52 on the end of member 50. Support member 50 and stop 52 are adapted to carry screed bar 54. Screed bar 54 may be any type of construction material which is sufiiciently rigid to perform as a horizontal guide for a rod. Quite often 2 x 4 lumber is used for this purpose.

In use, positions for screed support are selected as required, depending upon the size and the shape of the area in which floor 16 is to be laid, as well as upon the length of the screed and the rigidity of screed bar 54. Retainer clips 12 are placed in the desired location where screed supports are to be provided.

When retainer clip 12 is dropped into the recess 2%, guide legs 26 and 28 hold it in such position that post 38 may be readily inserted therein. The guide legs prevent the retainer clip from falling loosely into the bottom of recess 20. However, if desired, post 38 may be first installed in retainer clip 12, before the clip is placed in the recess. Here again, guide legs 26 and 28 guide the retainer clip 12 and the post 38 into such a position that the post is substantially perpendicular to the general plane of decking 14.

As post 38 is tightened, point 42 indents a dimple 56 in the bottom of recess 20. Alternatively, the dimple can be performed by means of a center punch. As the post 38 is turned in retainer clip 12, the center of the clip is urged upward by the thread action while the locking ends 30 and 32 engage in the side walls of recess 20. The unstressed shape of body 22 causes tightening of the locking ends into the sides of recess as the post is turned. Tight engagement is thus accomplished.

After posts 38 are positioned, including engaging of the locking ends and 32 into the decking by rotation of the post 38, by engagement of wrench on wrenching surfaces 44, the posts are ready for the installation of screed support brackets 46. Such a bracket is positioned upon each post 38. It is locked at the correct level to provide, in conjunction with the height of screed bar 54, the correct depth of floor 16. Along their length, screed bars 54 are each placed over a plurality of screed support brackets 46 so that they are firmly supported. Appropriate means such as a level is used to find the correct position of the bottom of the screed bars 54 so that the door 16 will have a top surface at the appropriate height. To accomplish this, brackets 46 are raised or lowered as necessary and are locked in place by set screws 48. When all is positioned, the material of fioor 16, in a plastic condition, is poured. Rods are run along the length of screed bars 54 so as to bring the top of the still plastic floor material level with the bottom of screed bars. When the level is determined and the top surface is finished, except for troweling, screed bars 54 are removed. Preferably, brackets 46 and posts 38 are also removed. Such can be accomplished by first loosening the set screw and screwing off the bracket 46, and then by unscrewing post 38. When washed off, they are ready for reuse. Retainer clip 12 may be left in place. After the material of floor 16 develops sufficient firmness, surface finishing can take place.

In view of the rigidity with which post 38 is secured to the decking 15, by means of locking retainer clip 12 into the sides of a decking recess, it is clear that the structure can be used in inverted position for the support of hanging ceilings or the like. In such case, a post 38 and retainer clip 12 is inserted into a recess as seen from the bottom of decking 14. In this case, the post 38 may have engagement means thereon for directly engaging suspended ceiling supporting means, or it may carry suitable bracket which is lockable on the post 38, in like manner to bracket 16, so that suspending ceiling height may be readily adjusted.

This invention having been described in its preferred embodiment, it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A screed support structure for use with corrugated decking having ridges and recesses, the recesses having sides, said screed support structure including a threaded post and bracket means mounted on said post, in which the improvement comprises:

a retainer clip for holding said post in position with respect to one of the recesses in said corrugated decking,

said retainer clip being formed of a strong, resilient material,

said retainer clip having a main body which has opposed locking end means located on opposite extremities of said body,

said main body having dependent guide leg moans extending from one surface thereof,

each of said guide leg means being located adjacent to one of said locking end means,

said main body having a curved, bowed shape between said locking end means prior to use,

said retainer clip being capable of fitting within said recess so that said locking end means and said guide leg means engage the side of said recess,

said main body having a centrally located threaded opening formed therein,

said threaded post being threaded within said threaded opening and engaging the bottom of said recess,

said threaded post being capable of being turned within said threaded opening while in contact with the bottom of said recess so as to change the curvature of said main body, causing said main body to firmly and resiliently engage the sides of said recess in order to hold said post and said bracket means firmly in place with respect to said corrugated decking.

2. A screed support as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said locking end means are the ends of said main body.

3. A screed support structure claimed in claim 1 wheresaid guide leg means are formed out of and are integral with said main body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,664,370 3/1928 Milburn et a1. 52-678 2,224,273 12/1940 Neptune 52-679 2,676,680 4/1954 Kindorf 52-710 X 2,910,155 10/1959 Bradner 287-18935 X 2,940,299 6/1960 Sullivan.

3,157,966 11/1964 Sherburne.

3,284,973 11/1966 Ames et al 52365 X 3,333,380 8/1967 Wolf 52-365 FOREIGN PATENTS 863,488 3/1961 Great Britain.

HENRY C. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Examiner. 

